UFC 107 main card recap: Penn outclasses Sanchez; Mir destroys Kongo

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – The enigmatic Diego Sanchez has inspired a legion of followers with his often-bizarre behavior and frequent “Yes!” chants.

But at this point in his career, it’s going to take far more than positive thinking to defeat UFC lightweight champion B.J. Penn.

Penn dismantled Sanchez for five rounds and retained his belt with a one-sided, brutal, TKO victory in the main event of Saturday night’s “UFC 107: Penn vs. Sanchez event at FedExForum in Memphis, Tenn.

The fight was nearly over before it even began. Penn flashed amazingly quick and pinpoint precise hands in countering Sanchez’s initial rush, and a right hand dropped his foe early. Penn pounced and unleashed a flurry of blows as referee Herb Dean watched closely. In a true display of heart, Sanchez did just enough to stay in the fight, and he returned to his feet.

The fight’s result seemed decided then – and for all intents and purposes it was – but the fight would carry on well into the fifth round before the eventual result was issued.

Penn continued to flash his impressive boxing throughout the fight, tagging Sanchez at every opening. The power that existed in the first wouldn’t be seen again, but the blows were taking their toll. Sanchez’s straight-forward attack was simply too predictable, and Penn countered his every move.

Penn’s unmatched balance and takedown defense were also apparent, and Sanchez’s repeated single-leg takedown attempts were shucked off with ease. Penn battered his opponent, and blood began to flow from Sanchez’s face in the third and fourth rounds.

As the final frame opened, Sanchez was barely recognizable. Swollen, battered and bleeding, Sanchez nevertheless refused to quit. But Penn’s often-questioned cardio level was shown to be solid, and “The Prodigy” went after the finish.

Then it came.

Penn flashed a right high kick that landed directly to Sanchez’s head, and a huge gash opened immediately over his left eye. Dean called for a timeout when the blood erupted from the wound, and ringside attendants wasted little time in halting the bout after inspecting the damage.

The end came at the 2:37 mark.

Following the win, Penn surprisingly said beating Sanchez was a long-time goal.

“I was keeping my mouth shut, but I always wanted to fight Diego Sanchez,” Penn said. “I knew for years he wanted to fight me.”

Sanchez was gracious in defeat, and despite falling short of his lifelong goal, he promised to earn another chance.

“It just happens,” Sanchez said. “B.J. is a great champion.

“I did my best. He came out on top, but I’ll be back.”

While Penn (15-5-1 MMA, 11-4-1 UFC) has often challenged himself in a variety of weight classes, the impressive win furthers the Hawaiian’s claim as the best lightweight in MMA history.

As witnessed by the drama played on the weigh-in stage Friday, UFC heavyweights Frank Mir and Cheick Kongo had little respect reserved for each other. And with Kongo looking to “shut up” his opponent, he unfortunately ran into the biggest – and perhaps best – version of Mir ever to step into the octagon.

After a brief feeling-out process with a few pawing shots from each fighter, the first stand-up blow came from an unexpected source. Mir uncorked a powerful overhand left the saw Kongo topple to the canvas. Once on the floor, Mir locked in a deep guillotine choke from half-guard and torques his body.

Kongo resisted, and he tried briefly to work free. But Mir shifted his weight to the side, switched angles, and squeezed even harder on the hold. Kongo refused to tap, and referee Herb Dean alertly halted the bout when the Frenchman fell into unconsciousness.

Following the win, Mir told UFC broadcaster Joe Rogan he was focused on becoming the UFC champion once again.

“Talent will only take you so far,” Mir said. “I rally am trying to put in the hard work and deserve what it takes to be a champion in this sport.

The fans are my critics. I read what they said. I always want to come out and be impressive for them. I’m a fighter. At the end of the day, if I don’t hear [cheers], it’s not worth it.”

While Mir has taken criticism for his “obsession” with another fight with Brock Lesnar, the former champ admitted the champ is still on his mind.

“I really do hope Brock Lesnar is healthy,” Mir said. “He’s a father, and I wish no ill-will on him. That being said, get healthy so that I can redeem myself and face you.

“I will hurt you, and that will be the last of you.”

Mir’s (13-4 MMA, 11-4 UFC) win is his first since the UFC 100 loss to Lesnar, and he moves to 4-1 in his past five fights. Kongo (14-6-1 MMA, 7-4 UFC) has now dropped two straight fights in the octagon.

Fitch outlasts Pierce

When two top wrestlers meet in the cage, it’s often the best striker that earns the win. When former title challenger Jon Fitch and solid prospect Mike Pierce met, even that skill was tough to dissect.

Pierce caught Fitch early and cut him open, but the blood was slow to escape. Fitch remained calm, caught a kick, and worked to his opponent’s back. Fitch was unable to secure a finishing choke, and Pierce actually landed a takedown of his own as time wound down. But the amount of the round spent in a dominant position earned Fitch the opening frame.

The second frame saw a few tantalizing flurries from the pair, and Pierce actually seemed to get the better of the flurries. Fitch’s face told a similar story, but a pair of takedowns in the frame helped him claim rights to the round.

The final frame was slow to develop, and a few Fitch knees in the clinch were the only significant offense until the closing minutes. Fitch worked once again to the back, but there was again no finish. Instead, Pierce went for broke with a non-stop flurry of shots in the closing minute. Fitch appeared rocked, but he held on until the final bell sounded.

The action was close throughout, but Fitch was awarded the unanimous nod, 29-28 on all three judges’ cards.

Fitch (21-3 MMA, 11-1 UFC) moves to an astounding 11-1 in the UFC and has now won three-straight. Meanwhile, Pierce (10-3 MMA, 1-1 UFC) sees a six-fight win streak halted as he loses for the first time in the octagon.

Florian halts Guida; Struve edges Buentello

A lightweight match between perennial crowd favorites Kenny Florian and Clay Guida was tagged as a pre-event “Fight of the Night” favorite, and the action in the cage lived up to the hype.

The opening frame saw both fighters willing to stand and trade, and both had become a bloody mess by the time the first five minutes had closed. Florian’s forehead trickled, though Guida’s deeps gash from his opponent’s elbow flowed much more freely. Despite the lacerations, both fighters pressed forward.

The blood worked into Guida’s eye as the second frame opened, and Florian appeared much more confident in his boxing. Florian pumped out jabs and defended a takedown early before uncorking the homerun blow.

As Guida tried to land with his hands, Florian countered with a powerful right hand that crumpled his opponent to the canvas. Florian pounced with a flurry before working quickly to the back and sinking in a fight-ending rear-naked choke 2:19 into the round.

The bloodied fighters embraced before the official result was read, and Florian had nothing but respect for his opponent after the contest.

“I always want to put on good fights for the fans. This is one of those guys you guys gotta cheer for. Clay Guida is amazing.”

The win was Florian’s (12-4 MMA, 10-3 UFC) first since an August loss to Penn, while Guida (25-11 MMA, 5-5 UFC) has now dropped two-straight bouts in the octagon.

While it was the 83-inch reach of Stefan Struve that everyone expected to give opponent Paul Buentello trouble, it was the 6-foot-10 Dutchman’s lengthy legs that proved the difference in the fight.

After scoring early with an uppercut, Struve controlled the remainder of the opening round by wrapping his spindly frame around Buentello’s in a secure body triangle. Struve sought the choke for several minutes but had to settle for a dominating open round.

Buentello responded in the second by remaining on his feet and delivering several powerful punches to his opponent’s face. A spectacular counter to a flying knee left Struve on the floor, but Buentello asked him to return to the feet. Several spirited changes followed, and the pair smiled at each other after a few entertaining flurries.

The pace slowed a bit in the final frame, and the attacks became one-dimensional. Struve attacked with volume to the legs, and Buentello absorbed the shots. Buentello looked for powerful jabs and a few uppercuts, and though they landed, the blows simply didn’t do enough damage to make up for Struve’s active kicks.

In the end, Struve was awarded a narrow majority decision win, with judge Doc Hamilton calling the bout a draw.

Following the win, a humble Struve admitted he hadn’t earned the victory by much of a margin.

“He’s tough; he’s strong,” Struve said. “I couldn’t get a good grip.

“I don’t feel like a winner right now. It was far from my best. I think it was more of a draw.”

After suffering a brutal loss to Junior Dos Santos in his UFC debut, Struve (19-3 MMA, 3-1 UFC) now has three-straight wins in the promotion. Meanwhile, Buentello (27-11 MMA, 3-2 UFC) loses in his first UFC appearance in nearly four years.

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